Army National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers, military families and retirees now have more time to renew their military identification cards, the Pentagon announced.

The extensions, announced June 7, affect those with Uniformed Services Identification Cards that expire between Jan. 1, 2020, and July 31, 2021. The goal is to allow DoD personnel and beneficiaries to maintain access to health care and other benefits while ID card sites continue to deal with COVID-19 restrictions. 

The new deadlines are:

• Aug. 31, 2021, for all foreign affiliates and their dependents.
• Oct. 31, 2021, for dependents of active-duty service members, and Reserve and National Guard service members and their dependents.
• Jan. 31, 2022, for retirees and their dependents, and all other USID card populations.

ID cards that expired before Jan. 1, 2020, have not been extended, according to DoD, and must be replaced. Cards that expire after July 31, 2021, must be replaced by their expiration date.

The extensions come as the military is in the process of getting rid of the paper-based ID cards issued to retirees and family members for a new, more secure card. It’s the first major update in almost 30 years to the ID cards, which have been in use since 1993. 

The Next Generation Uniformed Services Identification Card incorporates an updated design and security features to deter counterfeiting and fraud, DoD said. The card will be printed on plastic cardstock and will look and feel more like the Common Access Cards issued to active-duty service members and DoD civilian employees.

For more information on the extensions, click here.

To schedule an appointment for a new ID, click here.